title: Pilot study: health behaviors associated with human papillomavirus vaccine acceptance among adolescents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite approval of a vaccine found to be very effective in preventing human papillomavirus infection and related cancers, many young people have not yet been vaccinated. Because health behaviors tend to co-occur, the purpose of the current study was to examine relationships among human papillomavirus vaccine uptake and other health behaviors among adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-nine high school students completed a paper-and-pencil pilot survey regarding human papillomavirus vaccine knowledge and attitudes as well as human papillomavirus vaccination and other health behaviors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The authors found that human papillomavirus vaccination was significantly associated with health-promoting behaviors among girls (eg, not smoking, P = .02), whereas vaccination willingness was associated with health risk behaviors among boys (eg, higher sugar diet, P = .03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Effective interventions to promote human papillomavirus vaccination among adolescents may benefit from a simultaneous focus on multiple health behaviors and/or health in general. Interventions tailored by gender may also be beneficial.
authors.affiliation: Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Carolyn J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Heckman
authors.forename: Carolyn Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jayo
keywords: adolescents; health promotion behaviors; health risk behaviors; human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine acceptance